Returning for its 31st year, the Rex Hospital Open will be held from May 31 – June 3 this year at the TPC Wakefield Plantation Country Club. The fun and family-friendly professional golf tournament features golfers from the Web.com Tour and has raised close to $9 million for patients in need, right here in our community. Considered the “path to the pros” its players compete to earn their PGA Tour card and their enthusiasm for the game and the fans is unmatched. The TPC Wakefield Plantation club has hosted the Web.com Tour since 2001 in Raleigh.

Free admission is available on Thursday – Sunday for First Responders, Wake County Public School System Employees w/ valid ID, Active Duty, Military Reserve, National Guard, Military Retirees, and Veterans. Daily grounds passes are $10/each. A weekly grounds pass is $20/each. The upgraded “champions club tickets” are available for $100/each with additional perks. Tickets can be purchased directly through the events’ website.

The Tournament Players Club Wakefield Plantation opened as a private member club in 2000. The par 71, 7,257 yard, 18-hole championship golf course was designed by three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin. The TPC at Wakefield Plantation lies on 200+ acres adjacent to the majestic Falls Lake where native pine trees, ponds, and creeks remain in their pristine natural condition, framed by 18 carefully sculpted holes whose beauty will only serve to complement their surroundings.

Five different sets of tees allow for an enjoyable round for players of all skill levels. Wakefield is a McConnell Golf property. The company, founded in 2003, is currently the largest owner of private clubs in the region. McConnell Golf’s stable of premier private clubs (comprised of 12 – 18 hole, private golf courses plus one nine – hole course) in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. McConnell’s other Raleigh country club includes the Raleigh Country Club in the prestigious North Hills area near Crabtree Valley Mall.

UNC Rex Hospital Charity & Triangle Area Impact

The Rex Healthcare Foundation plays an essential role in the continuing success of Rex Hospital by raising funds to support and enhance the programs and services provided, which in turn allows Rex to provide the best healthcare in the Triangle. The Foundation raises funds from the community through a variety of methods, including events like the Rex Hospital Open.

Close to $9,000,000 million has been generated for the Rex Healthcare Foundation through the annual golf events to support a variety of community programs like Mobile Mammography, Patient Assistance, Heart & Vascular Mobile Diagnostics, cancer and heart disease education, detection programs and cancer outreach.

The REX Healthcare Foundation, the main charitable beneficiary of the Web.com Tour’s Rex Hospital Open, was recently named the Tour’s “Charity of the Year” at the PGA TOUR’s Tournament Meetings in late 2017.

” With charity serving as the backbone of the Web.com Tour, there is no honor more prestigious than the Charity of the Year Award… The REX Healthcare Foundation, in conjunction with the Rex Hospital Open, has strengthened their community by supporting programs and services that make a positive impact on patients’ lives. ”

— Web.com Tour President Dan Glod

In 2017, the REX Hospital Open contributed an all-time high of $470,000 to the REX Healthcare Foundation. This past year also marked a milestone anniversary for the REX Hospital Open – 30 years of charity golf. In that time, more than $8.4 million in net proceeds have been raised to support the local Triangle area community.

Past Champions and Where They Are Now

The Rex Hospital Open is part of the Web.com Tour, the playing field where future golf stars compete to earn their PGA TOUR cards. The local North Raleigh event is known for sending players on to victory on the PGA TOUR, and this year’s level of play is going to be more competitive than ever before.

Conrad Shindler (2017)

Following his win at the Rex Hospital Open in 2017, Shindler went on to record five more top-10 finishes on the Web.com Tour, moving his season total to nine. In this 2018 season, Shindler has had 12 PGA Tour starts.

Trey Mullinax (2016)

Mullinax, 2016 Champion of the Rex Hospital Open, has been making a statement in the PGA Tour. During his first year on Tour, Mullinax obtained five top-25 finishes, including a tie for 9th finish at the U.S. Open. Mullinax’s most recent accomplishment was a T2 finish at the Valero Texas Open.

Kyle Thompson (2007, 2011, 2015)

Thompson is a 3-time Rex Hospital Open champion, even naming his 3rd child, Raleigh, after his most recent win in 2015. In the 2018 PGA Tour season, Thompson has had 11 starts.

Chesson Hadley (2013)

After Hadley, a Raleigh native won the Rex Hospital Open in 2013, he went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors on the PGA TOUR. Hadley spent the 2017 season back on the Web.com Tour where he finished No. 1 on the Regular Season money list, earning an exemption for the 2017-2018 PGA Tour season. Hadley’s biggest finishes include 2nd in the Sanderson Farms Championship and T3 at the Safeway Open this season. Hadley holds an impressive 5 top-10 finishes this year and has made 13 of 15 cuts.

James Hahn (2012)

Hahn, 2012 Rex Hospital Open champion went on to earn his PGA Tour card. Most recently Hahn finished 2nd in the Sony Open along with 14 other top-10 finishes in total. Notable wins for Hahn include the 2015 Northern Trust Open and the 2016 Wells Fargo Championship, both on the PGA Tour.

Eric Axley (2005)

Axley, 2005 Rex Hospital Open Champion, went on to win the Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour in 2006. Up until 2010, Axley played full seasons on the PGA Tour and then returned for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Since then, Axley rejoined the Web.com Tour in 2017, with two top-10 finishes this season. Axley most recently won the North Mississippi Classic.

Y’all, Mark Your Calendars…

When summertime kicks off in Raleigh in late May, so will the 31st annual Rex Hospital Open on May 31 – June 3, 2018. It’s an occasion that has become a North Carolina destination and a tradition that draws thousands of spectators in support of a great cause. Be sure to grab your tickets and come out to enjoy golf, kid-friendly activities, live music, and much more.

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